Stoker



June 4, .1935. M. w. POOL El" AL STOKER Filed April 1, 1952 INVENTOR. 170121218 W. POOL By Emma? 7Z/R/vm C? $44M, \7

- ATTORNEY.

boiler firebox.

Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES.

STOKER Morris W. Pool, Brooklyn, and Edwin Archer Turner, New York, N. Y., assignors to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a

corporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1932, Serial No. 602,428

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in stokers of the type that are adaptable to the delivery of fuel by manual or power means through the conventional firing opening of a It is particularly advantageous in stoker applications to the smaller types of locomotives, though as will be evident from the description its use is not so limited but is equally applicable to stoker installations on larger locomotives.

One objectoi this invention is the provision of a stoker conduit communicating with the conventional firing opening of a boiler firebox, arranged to form a closure for the firebox firing opening when firing the fuel manually, by power means or both.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stoker conduit communicating with the firing opening of a boiler firebox arranged for firing fuel by power means, a portion of the conduit wall forming a door arranged to be opened and closed manually or by power means and providing access to the firing opening when firing fuel manually.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a stoker conduit communicating with the firing opening of a boiler firebox, a wall portion of which is mounted to swing on a substantially horizontal transverse axis from its normal position through an angle greater than 90 into the firing opening to permit manual firing through the opening in the stoker conduit provided by its swinging wall portion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the rear portion of a locomotive firebox with the stoking apparatus of the invention shown applied thereto, parts thereof being shown in elevation and parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the delivery end of the stoker and its combined firedoor in central vertical longitudinal section; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

The invention is shown as applied to a locomotive A having a firebox Hi, the grates ii and an elliptical firing opening l2 in the firebox backwall [3. Extending rearwardly of the backwall !3 is a cab l4 provided with a deck l5 which is below the lower marginal edge of the firing opening i2.

A stoker designated generally by the letter B extends forwardly from a source of fuel supply, as from a tender, (not shown), and includes a transfer conduit l5 leading from the source of fuel supply and a curved nozzle or discharge conduit l'l arranged to discharge fuel into the firebox through the firing opening I2. Preferably, although not necessarily, the discharge conduit I1 is carried on the backwall l3 and may be fixed thereto adjacent its lower end' by the bracket 18 and at its upper end or mouth portion [9 by the lateral flange 20 circumscribing the forward end of the conduit H. The mouth portion !9 flares outwardly at its discharge end and embraces the firing opening. The transfer conduit [6 and the nozzle or discharge conduit I'! are flexibly related at their adjacent ends, as at 2| to permit articulation therebetween. A distributor plate 22 extends forwardly from the discharge conduit l'l through the firing opening l2 and, in conjunction with a pressure fluid head 23, distributes fuel over all I parts of the firebed. The pressure fluid head 23 is located rearward of the distributor plate 22 and is arranged to issue blasts of pressure fluid through the jet openings 24. Lead lines 26 supply pressure fluid, as for example, steam to the distributor head 23. Q

' Any suitable means may be utilized for advancing the fuel through the conduit sections i5 and I1 onto the distributing means. For this purpose a screw conveyor 21 is rotatably mounted within the conduit section 16. The screw may be driven from its rearward end or in any other manner well known in the art. Thus, by action of the screw conveyor 21, fuel is mechanically fed from a source of supply to the firing opening l2, the conduit I! forming an enclosed passage 28 between the conduit section I6 and the firing opening l2 and hence a closure between the firing opening and the cab 54 above the deck l5.

The top wall of the conduit I! is provided with a movable wall portion 29 which is pivotally mounted on a substantially horizontal rocker shaft 30 extending transversely of the conduit mouth portion I9 adjacent the upper marginal edge of the firing opening. This wall portion 29 or door is straight adjacent its pivotal connection when considered in transverse vertical cross section and progressively changes to a U-shape in transverse vertical cross section at the end thereof remote from its pivotal connection. It is made to assume this configuration so that it may be swung about its pivotal connection through the elliptically shaped firing opening to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure-2. With the wall portion or hinged door 29 closed, the fuel may be mechanically fed through the conduit mouth portion !9. With the wall portion or hinged door 29 open, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, fuel may be manually fed through the conduit mouth portion I9 onto the distributing means or directly through the firing opening l2 into the firebox. So positioned, the inturned door provides a convenient deflector or hood over the distributor plate 22 which helps to insure that the fuel shoveled in by hand shall fall on the plate for proper distribution by the blasts, whenever jet distribution may be desirable.

When manually firing, the fuel is supplied ascoop full at a time and during the lapse of time between successive scoops it is desirable to close the firing opening l2 to prevent the rush of cold air into the firebox, and to comply with the in terstate laws affecting locomotive firing it is necessary that the closure be a power actuated door.

The rocker shaft 30 is journalled in bearings (not shown) in the sidewalls of the discharge conduit I1 and at each end extends therebeyond. The shaft extension to the right of the conduit, as best shown in Figure 3, has fixed thereon the clutch member 3i and loosely carries the clutch lever 32. By engaging the clutch lever with the fixed clutch member, the firedoor 29 may be moved manually. The rocker shaft extension to the left of the conduit has fixed thereon the rocker arm 33 which is connected with the power actuating means as will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3, a link 34 connects therocker arm 33 with the rod of the piston 35 mounted in the air cylinder 36. Admission of air to the cylinder 36 through its ports 31 and 38 is controlled by valvular means consisting of a valve member 39 and a rocker lever 40 receiving its motion from a foot treadle 4i. Compressed air, or any suitable pressure fluid, is supplied to the cylinder through the pipe 42. The rocker lever 49 is pivoted at 43 in the arm 44 extending from the air cylinder which is suitably secured to the flange 20.

All of this actuating mechanism is so arranged that when the treadle M is pushed down the valve member 39 is raised, closing the port 31 and opening the port 38 whereby air will be admitted under pressure above the piston 35 and will move the piston downward acting through the link 34 to pull downward on the rocker arm 33 and that in turn will rotate the rocker shaft 30 swinging the firedoor 29 downward and forward through the firing opening l2 and up to a position indicated in Figure 2 in dotted lines. When the treadle is permitted to rise, the valve member 39 is lowered, closing the port 38 and opening the port 31 whereby air will be admitted under pressure below the piston 35 and will move the piston upward, acting through the link 34 to push upward on therocker arm 33 and that in turn will rotate the rocker shaft 33 whereby the firedoor will swing rearwardly through the firing opening and up into its original position.

While only one embodiment of the invention is disclosed it is capable of various modifications which will come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a firebox having .a wall with an opening therein, a stoker discharge conduit on said wall embracing said opening, a distributor plate positioned in the opening adjacent the lower margin thereof, means for projecting fuel across said plate, and a firedoor forming a movable wall portion of said conduit, said firedoor being mounted to swing about a substantially horizontal transverse axis into said opening to a position above said distributor plate and over the projected fuel.

2. In combination with a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker discharge conduit mounted against the wall and communicating with said opening, a distributor plate positioned in the opening adjacent the lower margin thereof, means for projecting fuel across said plate, and a firedoor forming a movable wall portion of said conduit, said firedoor being pivotally mounted adjacent said wall of the firebox to swing into said opening to a position above said distributor plate and over the projected fuel.

3. In combination with a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker discharge conduit mounted against said wall and embracing said opening, a distributor plate positioned in the opening adjacent the lower margin thereof, means for projecting fuel across said plate, and a firedoor forming a movable wall portion of said conduit, said firedoor being pivotally mounted on said conduit adjacent said firebox wall to swing into said opening to a position above said distributor plate and over the projected fuel.

4. In combination with a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker discharge conduit in communication with said opening, fuel distributing means disposed in the lower marginal portion of said opening for receiving fuel from said conduit and projecting it over the firebed of the firebox, and a firedoor constituting a movable wall portion of said conduit, said firedoor being movable inward into said opening to a position above that portion of the fuel distributing means therein and over the fuel passing from the conduit through the opening into the firebox.

5. In combination with a firebox having a wall with a firing opening therein, a stoker discharge conduit communicating with said firing opening and having an opening in its upper side the upper margin of which is disposed adjacent the upper margin of said firing opening, fuel distributing means disposed in the lower marginal portion of the firing opening for receiving fuel from said conduit and projecting it over the firebed of the firebox, and a firedoor constituting a movable wall portion of said conduit and normally closing the said opening therein, said firedoor being movable from its normally closed position inward into said firing opening to a position above that portion of the fuel distributing means therein and over the fuel passing from the conduit through the firing opening into the firebox.

6. In combination with a furnace having a firing opening, a stoker discharge conduit communicating with said firing opening, a distributor plate positioned in the firing opening adjacent the lower margin thereof, means for projecting fuel across said plate, said conduit having an opening in its upper side the upper margin of which is disposed adjacent the upper margin of said firing opening, and a firedoor pivotally mounted adjacent the upper margin of the firing opening normally closing the opening in said conduit, said door being arranged to swing on a substantially horizontal transverse axis from its normally closed position into said firing opening to a position above said distributor plate and over the projected fuel.

MORRIS W. POOL. E. ARCHER TURNER. 

